The "China KEPEI · High-Quality Development Forum for Private Universities," hosted by China KEPEI Education Group and organized by Ma'anshan College, was successfully held at Ma'anshan College from July 15 to 20, 2025. Spanning six days, the forum brought together the core leadership from the Group's five sister institutions – Guangdong Technology College, Harbin Institute of Petroleum, Huaibei Institute of Technology, Ma'anshan College, and Zhaoqing Science and Technology Secondary Vocational School – alongside authoritative experts in the education field and strategic partners. The forum aimed to discuss the mission, challenges, and innovative development pathways for private higher education in the new era, contributing the strength of private education to serving the national strategy of building a strong education system.
Over two days, the forum featured in-depth discussions on core development issues for private universities through formats like keynote reports and thematic seminars:
Mr. Ye Nianqiao, Chairman of China KEPEI Education Group, delivered a keynote report titled "Reflection, Consolidation, and Setting Sail – The 30-Year Educational Journey of China KEPEI." He warmly reflected on the Group's passionate and challenging thirty-year history – from the initial difficult startup and building from scratch, to overcoming numerous obstacles to achieve leapfrog development, to becoming a significant force in the field of private higher education today. Each phase, he noted, embodies the dedication and hard work of all KEPEI members. The report combined deep respect for history, clear-eyed insight into the present, and boundless hope for the future, resonating strongly with the audience.
Mr. Wang Lisheng, former Director of the Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education, former National Inspector of Education, and currently Vice President of the China Association for Non-Government Education and Chairman of its Higher Education Professional Committee, presented a report with deep reflections on "The Role of Private Universities in Building a Strong Education System." He pointed out that China's private universities have made significant contributions to promoting the popularization of education and cultivating application-oriented talents. However, their overall development still faces severe challenges: the overall level and quality of education often place them at the lower end of the higher education spectrum, with urgent needs for improvement in academic levels, social recognition, and scientific research capabilities. Facing the strategic goal of building a strong education system by 2035, private universities must accelerate their transformation and upgrading, deeply serve national strategies, strengthen discipline construction and research capabilities, and share the responsibility and mission of building a strong education system alongside public universities, thereby solidifying the talent foundation for national rejuvenation.
Professor Ding Yiqiang, former Director of the Academic Degrees Office of Guangdong University of Technology, shared a thematic report on "Practice in the Project Application and Construction for New Master's Degree Awarding Units in Local Universities." He systematically outlined the development process of project construction for degree-awarding units, including the policy background, the implementation of special talent cultivation projects, and the status of approved units, with a focus on analyzing the current situation and trends regarding new master's degree-granting units among private universities nationwide. He emphasized that discipline construction is the core of university development, that elevating degree levels requires long-term accumulation, and that universities should base their efforts on regional needs, integrate resources, and strengthen disciplinary characteristics to support high-quality development.
Mr. Deng Feiqi, Independent Director of China KEPEI Education Group, shared unique insights regarding the philosophy of industry-education integration within the Group's institutions and its extensions. He affirmed the effectiveness of industry-education integration in the Group's institutions and proposed suggestions for high-quality development, including strengthening the cultivation system and faculty development, accelerating the process of "Shen Shuo Gai Da" (Applying for Master's programs and Renaming to 'University'), promoting international cooperative education, and enhancing publicity to boost influence. He also expressed his willingness to assist the Group's development with his professional expertise, particularly in areas like master's program applications, to help the Group's institutions develop distinctive characteristics.
Mr. Huang Gang, Chairman of Zhongtian Huifu Education and High-Tech Industry Group and Director of the Guangdong Innovation Center of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) Silicon Valley, delivered an insightful speech on "Revitalizing the Nation through Science and Education: Building a Platform for Full Integration of Education, Technology, Talent, and Industry." He introduced how Zhongtian Huifu Group practices the strategy of national revitalization through science and education, using education as the foundation, technology as the weapon, and talent as the soul to promote the deep integration of "industry, education, science, and talent." He advocated for advancing Chinese modernization through the integration of industry, academia, and research, and for realizing the unity of personal and social value through the practice of revitalizing the nation through science and education.
Professor Qin Feng, Executive Vice President of Ma'anshan College, presented a report titled "One Core, Four Wings: Giving Wings to Application-Oriented Engineering Talents for Soaring." This model has the core goal of "enhancing the innovative ability, practical ability, and engineering capability of engineering talents," supported by the linkage of "four certificates" – graduation certificate, degree certificate, professional title certificate, and skill certificate – initially establishing a cultivation system that integrates professional education and engineer education. However, he noted that the current reforms are still in a challenging "climbing the slope and crossing the ridge" phase. The college will continue to adhere to a problem-oriented approach, collaborative innovation, and open education to explore new paths for the development of application-oriented universities.
Professor Liu Liping, Director of the Teacher Development and Teaching Evaluation Center at Ma'anshan College, comprehensively reported on the "Undergraduate Teaching Qualification Assessment: Process, Effectiveness, and Follow-up Measures." He pointed out that the college has steadily advanced assessment preparations through measures such as establishing an organizational structure, decomposing task lists, conducting study exchanges, and continuous improvement, achieving phased results. From the second half of this year through the first half of 2026, the college will continue to intensify the implementation and construction of the "Six Major Projects."
Professor Wang Yining, President of Harbin Institute of Petroleum, reported on the phased work regarding the project application and construction for becoming a master's degree awarding unit. The current construction follows the guiding principles of "strengthening foundations through routine management, demonstrating characteristics through quality enhancement, and planning development through system building," comprehensively promoting the high-quality development of the institute. Addressing four prominent shortcomings – difficulty in attracting high-level talents, insufficient research accumulation, intense competition for degree programs, and limited investment in research equipment – corresponding measures have been introduced. The institute will continue to advance the implementation of various tasks to ensure standards are met on schedule.
Professor Zhu Jiamei, Dean of the School of Information Engineering at Harbin Institute of Petroleum, reported on the preparations for the 19th iCAN Contest and the 2025 International Academic Conference on Information Engineering and Intelligent Information Technology. The forum is scheduled for September 26-27 at Harbin Institute of Petroleum, with the theme "Information Engineering and Intelligent Information Technology Empowering Industries and Discipline Construction." The agenda covers cutting-edge fields such as the integration of artificial intelligence and industries, IT education technology, cybersecurity, and intelligent engineering interaction technology.
Professor Ren Hongyun, Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Harbin Institute of Petroleum, reported on the construction of cross-border digital trade teaching materials at the institute. This textbook development serves the national "Belt and Road" strategy and the development of "Digital Longjiang," relying on the Cross-Border Digital Commerce Modern Industry Institute established in 2024, focusing on cultivating talent for Sino-Russian cross-border e-commerce. Preliminary work has already been carried out, including textbook research, publisher liaison, formation of a writing team, drafting of outlines and sample chapters, and the approval of a provincial-level textbook research project.
Professor Zhou Wei, Director of the Evaluation and Construction Office at Harbin Institute of Petroleum, presented recommendations on the implementation of the "Undergraduate Education and Teaching '101 Plan'" within the KEPEI Group. The report suggested that coordinated implementation across the Group is key to solving common institutional problems, integrating resources, and enhancing brand influence. The implementation path focuses on the construction of four elements – curriculum, teaching materials, faculty, and practical training – and is divided into six steps: starting in July 2025, establish an organization, identify pilot majors, form an expert group, formulate detailed rules, carry out construction with regular feedback, and summarize results and apply for awards by the end of 2026.
Beyond the keynote reports, the two-day forum also featured thematic seminars and exchange sessions. Leaders from the Group's various institutions actively participated, engaging in lively discussions on core topics such as the cultivation of application-oriented talents, improvement of teaching quality, optimization of disciplines and majors, and serving regional development, sparking intellectual exchange and building consensus for development.
The forum was held at a significant juncture – the 30th anniversary of the founding of China KEPEI Education Group. Participants unanimously agreed that in the grand journey of the nation's comprehensive advancement of educational modernization and accelerated construction of a strong education system, private universities must adhere to their original educational mission, actively integrate into the overall national development strategy, focus on high-quality development as the core, deepen connotative construction, strengthen characteristic development, and continuously enhance their educational level and core competitiveness. Through this forum, China KEPEI Education Group not only strengthened internal coordination and experience sharing but also demonstrated its firm resolve and strong momentum as an industry leader in guiding private higher education to meet the demands of the times and achieve leapfrog development. The successful hosting of this forum is sure to inject new vitality and wisdom into the high-quality development of private higher education in China.
